Borissov at High-Level Forum Africa-Europe

December 18 (BTA) - Addressing the High-Level Forum Africa-Europe, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov talked about the digitalization of the economy worldwide, a process known as Industry 4.0, which experts term as the current industrial revolution. "Like every revolution, it opens up many opportunities but also poses challenges to the labour market and the economy in general," the Government Information Service quoted him as saying.

The forum mottoed "Taking Cooperation to the Digital Age" was held in Vienna on Tuesday as part of Austria's EU Council Presidency. It was opened by Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, President Kagame of Rwanda, who is the Chairman of the African Union for 2018, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

The forum aimed to promote innovation and digitalization as important enablers of the two continents' future development, so that everyone can benefit from the ongoing digital transformation.

Borissov stressed that digitalization greatly influences the countries and societies by transforming products, processes and business models in all sectors: from construction to health care, agriculture and tourism.

The World Economic Forum estimates that after 2020, 90 per cent of jobs will require digital skills. "It is no coincidence that they were a major theme of the Estonia-Bulgaria-Austria Trio Programme and a priority of Bulgaria's EU Council Presidency," said Borissov. He stressed that education is key to every economy and the citizens' well-being. "That is why in the next two years Bulgaria will invest 50 million euro from operational programmes in the Education for Tomorrow project," said Borissov. The project is aimed at the digitalization of secondary education.

"The use of new digital technologies in all areas will promote the development of the African economies and will help to attain the objectives set together by the EU and Africa," Borissov also said.

Until 2022, the EC is to provide 43 billion euro under the Africa Fund, Borissov told reporters in Vienna, quoted by the government's information service. In Borissov's words, Europe underestimated Africa, which is not a winning strategy. "What was discussed at the meeting was to encourage the private sector to invest in Africa and to improve the education there," he said. LI/DD, ZH